Lakers guard Bronny James said he spent the past year working to overcome lingering effects from his heart condition and become a player worthy of coach JJ Redick\u2019s rotation. <\/p>\n
The son of Lakers superstar LeBron James<\/a> went into cardiac arrest two years ago due to a congenital heart defect<\/a>, and underwent surgery that left a six-inch scar down the center of his chest before his freshman year at USC.<\/p>\n \u201cI get kind of sick easier now,\u201d the younger James, 20, told ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin<\/a> while in Las Vegas for the NBA summer league. \u201cWhich is kind of weird, but I think it messed with my immune system a little bit. So, I would have times where I have to sit out, and that conditioning that I\u2019m working on just goes away in that week of me being out.\u201d<\/p>\n Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n James said an illness this summer kept him out of a week\u2019s worth of workouts leading up to the California Classic earlier this month<\/a>. He was out for the opener in San Francisco and was on a minutes restriction in his second game.<\/p>\n Redick explained that James \u2014 the Lakers\u2019 No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft \u2014 needs to prioritize getting stronger in order to progress to the next level.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape, that\u2019s the barrier of entry for him right now,\u201d Redick told ESPN. \u201cAnd if he does that, I think he\u2019s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA. With the defensive pickup points, the disruption, being able to get downhill \u2026 I think we have all seen these amazing flashes of it from Bronny. And to get to that next level for him, it\u2019s cardio fitness.<\/p>\n Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of Game 3 of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on April 25, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s cleared. \u2026 I get that there\u2019s a history there of a really scary thing that he had to live through, and I think it\u2019s tough to push past certain points for him, but he\u2019s going to get there. He\u2019s going to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n In 27 NBA appearances in his rookie season, the guard averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 31.3 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent from three-point range.<\/p>\n James was back and forth from the Lakers to the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he averaged 21.9 points, 44.3 percent shooting and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n (L-R) Dorian Finney-Smith #17, LeBron James #23, Bronny James #9, and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the LA Clippers on February 4, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cMy head is all over the place,\u201d James said. \u201cThere\u2019s so much going on in Vegas. I personally don\u2019t like summer league at all. I like the competition and the games, but I don\u2019t like coming to Vegas and being in Vegas \u2026 After this, I\u2019m just doing nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n South Bay Lakers coach Zach Guthrie said he\u2019s seen progress in James\u2019 condition, and that he\u2019s focusing on his diet and sleep. <\/p>\n \u201cHis conditioning is like a basketball 401(k),\u201d Guthrie said. \u201cIt is all about daily deposits\u2026Yeah, there\u2019s going to be sometimes he\u2019s sick or this or that, but if he just stays vigilant and stays about his work, I think he will be fine.\u201d <\/p>\n South Bay Lakers Head Coach Zach Guthrie speaks to Bronny James #9 of the South Bay Lakers during the game against the Valley Suns on February, 7 2025 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n James\u2019 offseason workouts include interval training \u2014 VersaClimber sessions, stationary bike burnouts, incline walk exertions, and windsprints \u2014 to supplement scrimmaging and skill work.<\/p>\n He finishes his workouts with a curated 105-shot shooting drill, and his goal is to make 80 shots.<\/p>\n Redick was adamant about James\u2019 growth and dedication to developing his game after the Lakers\u2019 season ended in April with a loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.<\/p>\n Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, whom James backed up on a few occasions last season, said the rookie earned respect from his teammates for how hard he works. <\/p>\n Bronny James #9 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers play against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center on January 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images<\/p>\n As for the NBA\u2019s all-time leading scorer? LeBron, who will turn 41 in December, is rumored to want out of the Lakers after his agent, Rich Paul, released a statement regarding the 21-time All-Star accepting his $52.6 million player option.<\/p>\n LeBron was spotted partying in the South of France<\/a> last week with his wife, Savannah James, and his business partner, Maverick Carter.<\/p>\n